Question on Audiophile Power Outlet Installation

I've a Shunyata outlet SR-Z1 and with a stainless steel wall plate faceplate.........

"stainless steel wall plate",
Curious did you ever check it with a magnet? If not I suggest you do, see if the magnet sticks to the plate. If it does pull the plate from the duplex receptacle and replace it with a flexible nylon duplex plate and then sit down and listen to some good recorded music you are familiar with.
If you do not have a flexible nylon plate just pull the SS plate and listen without any cover plate for the listening secession test. You can always pick up a nylon duplex cover plate later.

Post back your findings.

 

Here a great video showing the guts of a Shunyata SR-Z1 duplex receptacle.



The base unit of the Shunyata SR-Z1 is a Hubbell Extra Heavy Duty Industrial Series.

See page 6
http://www.hubbell-wiring.com/press/pdfs/h5254.pdf

That does not mean the Shunyata SR-Z1 is exactly the same receptacle just packaged in a
Shunyata branded box. If a customer wants Hubbell to build a receptacle to their specs Hubbell will be more than glad to for a price. Usually though the customer will have to order a minimum quantity though. One thing that comes to mind is the terminal screws on each side of the duplex receptacle on the Hubbell duplex receptacle, they are made of steel. Shunyata may have spec the screws be non ferrous SS.

Bottom line it is cheaper in the long for Shunyata to out source the manufacturing of their receptacles to Hubbell. It just makes good sense. Also you will notice the Shunyata SR-Z1 duplex receptacle is UL/CSA Listed. Technically, in the US, the receptacle shall be Listed if connected to branch circuit wiring of a premise.

Not all audio grade duplex receptacles are Listed.

 

Oyaide manufactures their own outlets. Not 100% sure but I'd expect that Furutech does as well. These would probably be the exceptions rather than the rule among the "audio grade" receptacles. The Oyaides (at least my R1 is) are UL Listed.

The Shunyata video above is interesting but not particularly meaningful IMO. A video comparison of the Hubbell HBL 5362 to any $1-$5 contractor grade receptacle would show the same thing. I have a number of HBL 5362's and 5262's in use here and they are very good.

That being said, I would agree that the cryo treatment that Shunyata subjects the receptacle to is worthwhile and improves performance. A cryoed HBL 5362 is the king of the budget audiophile receptacles in my opinion in terms of bang for the buck. Generally available around $30-$35.

Sadly, an Oyaide R1 is better. I wish it wasn't true as it would have saved me some money, but it is. I'd expect the top of the line Furutech would be very good as well but I'm not trying one unless someone sends me one on a free trial basis which is how I ended up with the R1.

 

blakep,

Where does it say on the Oyaide R1 duplex receptacle that it is UL Listed?
http://www.vhaudio.com/oyaide-r1.html


UL Listed as well as SA Listed.
http://is.shotfarm.com/viewer/index.html?p=4387_4202_22569826

 

UL Symbol is stamped on the front face of the receptacle (top half between the hot and neutral slots); turn your head to the right when looking at your link . You'll have to look closely at the photo.

Mine is clearly stamped and my Box/Packaging also clearly states the receptacle is both PSE JET and UL Listed.

 

Thanks. It is hard to read from the picture.

 

No problem. I'd personally post pictures of receptacle and box but it is such a pain to post pictures to the forum anymore. Not quite sure why the forum made it so much more difficult and impossible to upload photos from one's PC.

 

The plate was given to me by the dealer. I never gave it much of a thought but I did check and a magnet does stick to it. Not really knowing these things is there a viable concern there electrically which you feel effects sound? Wouldn't metal parts of the outlet stick to a magnet also? I'm open to trying what you suggest I'm just trying to understand why?
Thanks

 

Excellent point. It used to be so easy. I never abused the privelege but to be able to make a quick screen shot with SnagIt and upload it to my post added a lot of value. They took that ability away and it's a great loss.

 

Jumping from 14 and yes even 12 gauge to 10 gauge will absolutely provide a tangible benefit. I've done it and heard the results. It's really not hard to work with either.

 

Since that is not true about all the "boutique" outlets, it pretty much blows your postulations out of the water, eh.

 

I have 20 amp dedicate outlets to my 3 main stereo rigs. Anything beyond that is just tossing good money away. I would not even need that but I have some fairly large power amps on those systems.

A cryo treated outlet, really now? What about that hundred of miles of non cryo treated lines and connections to your house?

It's a sad day when folks claim to hear differences in outlets beyond ones that are making secure, proper connections.
That kind of stuff makes me ill, it is so sad.

If you have old, worn outlets, by all means replace them with quality ones, but you can't put a 20 amp outlet on a 15 amp circuit, it will not be up to code.

 

So in the video he compares a 15 amp outlet to a 20 amp? Where is the equality in that. No 15 amp will be as well built as a 20 amp outlet. Pretty basic stuff.

 

So, what exactly did you hear as far as results?

 

mwheelerk,

Just guessing you could probably unplug the plugs from the wall duplex receptacle, remove the SS duplex wall plate, plug back in the audio equipment, turn on the equipment and let it warm up for a while, and then sit down and listen to the selected music you chose for the listening secession test.

OR, you can read these threads first, and then try the experiment.

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=tweaks&n=125458&highlight=Cooper Non-Magnetic Stainless Steel Wall Plate

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=tweaks&n=129606&highlight=receptacle cover plates&r=&session=

I can supply you more reading material if you like.

 

Not really. It is much more about the overall quality of the receptacle, materials and quality of construction. If you look at a heavy duty spec grade within any of the major manufacturers line ups and compare the 15 amp to the 20 amp version, the only difference you will find in the vast majority is the ability to accept a 20 amp male on the 20 amp receptacle. Same body, same contacts, ability to accept exactly the same gauge of wire. Same ratings all around. The T-slot is the only difference.

Compare that heavy duty spec grade (or hospital grade for example) with the low end contractor special $1-$2 receptacle, 15 or 20 amp version, and that is when you will see the difference. And that is what the Shunyata video has done. So definitely an apples to oranges comparison.

Now if they had done a video comparing the Shunyata rececptacle (which is based on a HBL 5362) to an HBL 5362 that would be an apples to apples comparison.

 

Pardon me if this is a dumb question or was previously answered, but opposite from what?

I'm planning to get my electrician to install a dedicated line from the panel to the outlets that feed my hifi, I want to make sure I'm asking him to do the right thing(s).

 

That particular NEMA 5-15R 125V 15 amp rated duplex receptacle plug in contacts were built for only a 15 amp plug. (I doubt if you noticed that though. Just guessing you just looked at the 15 amp plug only face plate. But I can assure you the feed through contact rating of the duplex receptacle is 20 amp rated. How do I know that? Because NEC Code says it shall be.

Mr. Gabriel could of chosen a NEMA 5-15R 15 amp receptacle whose guts are exactly the same as a NEMA 5-20R 20 amp rated receptacle. Yes exactly the same contacts. The only difference between the two would be the face plate. Now of course I am talking about the same manufacture and style/series of the receptacle.

If you have any NEMA 5-15R duplex receptacles lying around just take a pen light and shine it in the neutral blade slot hole of one of the receptacles. More than likely you will see the ' T ' contact configuration for a 20 amp plug.

 

This thread has inspired me to get a quote from an electrician on setting up a 20 amp line using 10 gauge wire and installing a Furutech outlet. After my experience installing a cryoed Hubbell and inserting a linear power supply into a MacMini, I am convinced that power supply is the easiest bang for the buck in audio improvement. When you consider $500 in the context of a 10k system it really is not ridiculous to try an expensive outlet. Another point that comes to mind is that once installed, you are not going to have the upgrade bug...

One obvious question: is there any issue plugging a 15 amp plug into a 20 amp socket?

My power distribution block is now 15 amp but I don't want to upgrade that at the same time as the outlet.

 

No.

 

Thanks

 

Here is an exception to the rule I found a few years back researching the Hubbell NEMA 5-15R HBL5262 125V 15 amp rated Extra Heavy Duty Industrial Series wide body duplex receptacle.
The neutral contact is manufactured specifically for the neutral blade of a 15 amp plug. Where as the compact HBL5262 Extra Heavy Duty Industrial Series has the ' T ' contact. Why? Beats me, though the compact 15 amp receptacle retail price was cheaper than the 15 amp wide body.
Why should anybody care? Well for any of you that are anal about scratching up the neutral blade of a high dollar 15 amp plug on a power cord from the ' T ' contact inside the 15 amp receptacle that could be a good reason to use the wide body duplex receptacle over the Compact one.

Note.
Per NEC Code two or more 15 amp rated receptacles can be installed on a 20 amp branch circuit. A duplex receptacle is two receptacles.

A 20 amp rated receptacle can only be installed on a 20 branch circuit.....

The branch circuit breaker handle rating size determines the size of the branch circuit.

 

True! That is why I used the words "vast majority" in my post above. But of all the receptacles I've looked at over the years from other manufacturers (Leviton, Pass & Seymour, Arrow Hart, Eagle, Bryant, etc. etc.) the HBL 5262 is the only one to have dedicated 15 amp contacts. It's an outlier. Not sure if they still build them that way but I have a few here like that. All other manufacturers that I have seen use the same 20 amp contacts in their 15 amp receptacles.

 

The treatment does change the molecular structure of the metal. Is there an audible benefit as a result? I'll leave that up to the user.

I'll nitpick....the miles of wire before it gets to the transformer closest to your home doesn't matter. A little muse....as cold as it was around here this winter I do believe all the transmission lines and transformers are now cryoed.

 

The first thing I noticed was the bass had more weight and energy. I also noted the overall sound was clearer and the SPL was greater at the same position on the volume control knob. Basically, the noise floor dropped.